James Gunn's DCU Will Reportedly Be Dismantled as DC Studios Prepares for Another Reboot

With James Gunn and Peter Safranalready out as the heads of DC Studios, we're now getting a better idea of what the new leadership has planned for the franchise.

According to a new report, Skydance intends to dismantle much of Gunn's DCU after Man of Tomorrow and The People vs. Gorilla Grodd, potentially bringing his superhero universe to an end and putting DC on the path toward yet another reboot.

According to a report from Puck, the new leadership at DC Studios under Skydance is looking to take the franchise in a different direction, rather than continue building the interconnected universe Gunn had envisioned.

Matthew Belloni shared the following: "I'm told plans are already afoot to dismantle much of what Gunn and Safran had plotted out beyond next summer's Gunn-directed Man of Tomorrow, the currently shooting The Batman: Part II, and an in-the-works HBO series,"

Belloni added: "So DC goes back into reboot mode."

That's probably the last thing DC fans wanted to hear after spending the past several years watching Warner Bros. repeatedly change course with its superhero franchise.

When Gunn and Safran took control of DC Studios in late 2022, they inherited several movies from the previous DC Extended Universe. Those included Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Warner Bros. moved forward with those releases despite knowing a reboot was coming. The movies received mixed-to-negative reactions overall and struggled financially. It certainly didn't help that audiences knew the existing universe was being phased out, giving them little reason to get invested in characters who might never return.

Gunn's solution was to introduce a new DCU, although it eventually became clear that he wasn't completely leaving his previous work behind. He brought Peacemaker back for Season 2 and incorporated elements of the original series into his new continuity. More recently, he also established his 2021 film The Suicide Squad as part of the DCU canon.

Gunn had an ambitious future mapped out for DC Studios, but he reportedly kept much of that plan to himself, including from Skydance's David Ellison.

It's since been revealed that Gunn had begun writing Superman 3 and was working toward a Justice League movie, potentially targeting 2029 or 2031. Now, those plans appear to be in serious trouble.

New DC Studios CEO Jeremy Latcham, who has extensive experience working within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was initially expected to potentially continue Gunn's DCU. However, Belloni's report suggests that much of the existing roadmap could be abandoned.

If that's the case, Man of Tomorrow and The People vs. Gorilla Grodd may end up closing out this version of the DC Universe.

One of the biggest questions is what happens to David Corenswet, who was introduced as the new Superman. Could another reboot mean DC Studios will recast the Man of Steel yet again, or will Latcham keep certain actors while changing the overall direction of the franchise?

There's also the question of Adria Arjona's Wonder Woman, who is expected to appear in Man of Tomorrow. Gunn previously removed Henry Cavill from The Flash as he prepared to launch his own DCU. It's possible the new leadership could make similar decisions about characters and appearances that no longer fit its plans.

Of course, another reboot doesn't necessarily mean DC Studios will attempt to create an entirely new interconnected universe.

Despite Latcham's MCU background, he could decide that DC would be better served by developing individual superhero movies without requiring every project to contribute to a larger storyline.

That approach has worked for DC before, particularly with The Dark Knight trilogy. Even Man of Steel initially arrived as a Superman movie that could stand on its own before Warner Bros. expanded it into a shared universe.

There's certainly an argument for letting filmmakers tell great Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman stories without worrying about crossovers or teasing the next ten movies.

Still, fans who have been waiting years to see DC's biggest heroes come together in a proper Justice League event will understandably be frustrated if those plans are scrapped again.

For now, it's important to remember that DC Studios hasn't officially announced another reboot, and the fate of Gunn's characters and actors remains uncertain. The report indicates that major changes are being planned, but exactly how far those changes will go remains to be seen.

Whatever happens, DC Studios has a big decision to make. Does it continue with the universe Gunn started, preserve the parts that work, or wipe the slate clean and start over?

After so many attempts to get the DC Universe moving in a consistent direction, another reboot could be a tough sell.

What do you think? Should DC Studios stick with Gunn's DCU, or would you rather see the studio focus on standalone superhero movies?